50 cent Delivery fee?

[Wavemaker]

Can someone explain to me the 50 cent delivery fee that square chargers per order when delivery is selected? Starting July 1st?

Why does this exist? Delivery costs ME money. What's it to square if someone picks up their order or I deliver it for free?

[#2]

I wanted to take a minute to continue the conversation around this topic, answer some of the questions that have come up, and address some of your concerns.

Why are you charging a fee for deliveries?

Instead of charging a high fixed monthly fee or a large commission, we chose a business model where we are only successful when you are. Having a sustainable business model also enables us to continue to deeply invest in building out a competitive delivery and online ordering platform with all of the functionality that you need to be successful. 

What about scheduled deliveries? (or other needed features)

This is a new platform, and we hear your feedback that there is some missing functionality that you need. We have been working very quickly on releasing updates to the product (you can see the release notes for April and May). We are currently building scheduled delivery functionality and plan to launch it soon, and are eager to hear your feedback on what other features would be critical to help you operate more effectively. 

How can I afford these fees on top of others?

Anyone who has had to make the shift online over the last few months can attest that online selling is a different experience with its own unique challenges. Online orders typically come with a different set of fees, including different processing rates (read more about why here), and it is important to adjust to ensure that your margins remain sustainable. In addition to custom delivery fee settings, we also offer an optional service fee setting, which you can learn how to configure in our local delivery support article.

We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to engage and discuss here. We are dedicated to building out a fully featured delivery and online ordering platform, and to be your partners in helping you build a direct channel to engage with your customers. We want to add value to your business by streamlining your operations, saving you and your employees’ time, and improving the delivery experience for your customers.

Please let us know what features you need, and what we could do to improve the platform -- we are very quickly releasing new functionality and are prioritizing what we build based on your feedback!

[Joe · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @Wavemaker - thanks for taking the time to reach out to us here on the Seller Community. We can help provide some clarity, here.

Due to Seller hardship resulting from COVID-19 related restrictions, we announced a fee waiver for 3 months (April, May, June). 

As of this week, we have begun contacting Sellers again to inform them that fees will resume. Sellers will be charged 50¢ per order for all local delivery orders occurring on and after July 1st. This fee will be subtracted along with current processing fees and will be visible in the seller Dashboard.

It's important to note that this fee is associated for Seller-powered deliveries only. Pickup orders have no charge and courier-powered delivery will have separate fees associated.

You can learn more about Square processing fees and pricing here. 

Let me know if you have any clarifying questions! We are here to help.

[David792]

I completely agree. What's the value-add here justifying the additional $0.50 fee for delivery? This equates to nothing more than a different fulfilment method; how does "delivery" impact Square's costs? What, the payment processing fee isn't high enough? Not a good look, Square.

[PlantSellerYEG]

Seems like Sqaure is trying to push users away from its platform. If we have to pay for the online shop and start getting service fees for every feature that's added, it would push our business to another platform. 

[Joe · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @Wavemaker - thanks for taking the time to reach out to us here on the Seller Community. We can help provide some clarity, here.

Due to Seller hardship resulting from COVID-19 related restrictions, we announced a fee waiver for 3 months (April, May, June). 

As of this week, we have begun contacting Sellers again to inform them that fees will resume. Sellers will be charged 50¢ per order for all local delivery orders occurring on and after July 1st. This fee will be subtracted along with current processing fees and will be visible in the seller Dashboard.

It's important to note that this fee is associated for Seller-powered deliveries only. Pickup orders have no charge and courier-powered delivery will have separate fees associated.

You can learn more about Square processing fees and pricing here. 

Let me know if you have any clarifying questions! We are here to help.

[orik]

Square has consistently taken the low road in this period, but this takes the cake - $0.50 for customers being able to mark orders as loal delivery or curbside pickup? Am I missing anything or is square doing absolutely no work here and just complicating our lives once more by adding a high per-order fee? 

[orik]

I mean seriously, you cost the world millions of hours of productivity by not making scheduled availability for products possible and you want to charge for the pleasure?

[Joe]

Hi there, @orik - thanks for reaching out. I've merged your post into an existing thread of Sellers who were also looking for information regarding Pickup & Delivery fees.

Take a look at this Best Answer for more context.

[lali]

Hi,

We're wondering why we will be charged an additional 50 cent delivery fee, starting July 1, for each delivery order? And why for deliveries & not pick-ups? 

As we communicated in March, the temporary waiving of fees will last through the end of June, and we wanted to give plenty of notice before this changes. Curbside pickup orders will remain free of charge and starting July 1, 2020, a 50¢ per order fee will be applied to all delivery orders.

Thanks!

[Alexh]

If we are doing the deliveries, why are we being charged $0.50 to deliver our own products? 

[Chardstem]

The fact that Square is using a global pandemic which has forced businesses to pivot to home delivery to profit is absolutely disgusting. 

We are already being charged to use your semi-functional website and card processing services, why should we be charged for delivering our own products? 

Please give business owners a clear reasoning behind this unethical charge. Explain how this is helping businesses make more money. Explain how this isn’t a business that is blatantly profiting off of a global pandemic that has businesses struggling to survive and are being forced to move online.

[Wavemaker]

I pay for the business subscription with square. That's 200 bucks. And you're telling me you're charging a fee for DELIVERING with MY OWN vehicle?

Just based on principal alone I'm being pushed to ecommerce with Shopify. Seeing all my fellow small business owners use their platform. I wonder if they charge a 50¢ delivery fee.

[Joe]

Hi there, @lali - thanks for taking the time to reach out to us here on the Seller Community. I've merged your post into an existing thread of Sellers also seeking information regarding delivery and pickup fees. Take a look here at this Best Answer.

[barkpark_chi]

Why is there a 50 cent fee being assessed? It's fee after fee for a transaction lately. 

Trying to understand why since we're already getting charged a delivery fee by a third party (i.e. PostMates)? 

[Phillybaker]

Yes.  That's the new normal.  Square gets their cut whether you use Postmates or not.  Square charges a fee; Postmates charges a fee.   I've been shopping around; nobody else seems to charge a fee just for designating an order as a delivery.  But they seem to get ya with other charges.  It's a very awkward way to charge us; but Square is still overall very competitive.  

[Biergarten]

What's the deal with Square charging a 50 cent fee when a customer places a delivery order that I deliver myself? I don't understand why they would charge me a fee for this. If a customer places a curbside order the same way we aren't charged a fee. 

[SilverSpoons]

Curious as to why we are being charged $.50 for our customers to choose delivery and for US to deliver it? 

[AshleyK]

@SilverSpoons Thanks for posting! I've merged your post to an existing thread where we explain the delivery fee. 🙂

[Copperpot]

With respect, the question has not been answered. It has been explained that the fee exists, but not why it exists. Why a fee specifically for owner provided delivery, especially when you acknowledge that that option lacks features?

[luxcrafter]

Were I a cynic, I'd put forth (and probably accurately) the reason is that with the sudden proliferation of self-deliveries and pickups swelling from the meager ranks of Square customers since Covid, from near nothing to a tsunami of good-will-driving, a sudden and chronic fiduciary awareness befell Square management such that, in a fit of uncontrolled and ill-advised apoplexy, these Square bosses attempted to thwart the predicted flood of miniscule percentages escaping their coffers by concocting an absolutely abominable, horrid, egregious insufferable and frankly crummy idea to keep the bank account fuller than it should be for the times, and thus their bonuses intact.

Were I a cynic, that is.

[ChiMo]

I am confused...why am I being charged a delivery fee if I am the one who is doing the deliver?

[Joe]

Hi there, @ChiMo - thanks for reaching out to us here. Due to high volume regarding this specific question, I've merged your post into an existing thread regarding fees associated with delivery and pickup.

Take a look here at this Best Answer for more details.